Apparatus for preventing accidents during repair work in a converter



1966 H. J. w. TIEFENTHAL 3,2

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS DURING REPAIR WORK IN A CONVERTER Filed May 17, 1963 Jnven/or: W44 J r wzw United States Patent O APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS DURING REPAIR WORK IN A CONVERTER Heinrich J. W. Tiefenthal, Essen, Germany, assignor to Beteiligungsund Patentverwaltungsgesellschaft mit beschriinkter Haftung, Essen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,162

Claims priority, application Germany, June 1, 1962,

2 Claims. (Cl. 52-749) The present invention relates to an apparatus for prevention of accidents during performing of work in converters and similar vessels equipped with a lining.

Converters for the steel production consists, as is well known, of substantially cylindrical vessels, which are, however, narrowed down in upward direction, in their upper portion, so that the danger exists that loosening parts of the refractory lining fall out in the inclined portion of the converter wall. If this should take place during performing of work in the converter, for instance, during fettling the furnace, the workers operating in the converter are endangered by the falling parts of the refractory lining.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for prevention of accidents during performing of work in converters and similar vessels equipped with a lining.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for prevention of accidents during performing of work in converters and similar vessels equipped with a lining, which comprises substantially a flexible hollow body capable of being blown up, which adheres to the wall of the vessel after being blown up, and which prevents the falling down of loosened parts.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the only figure is an axial section of a converter vessel disclosing the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the converter vessel comprises substantially an iron shell 1 having a refractory lining 2. Since the converter vessel is narrowed in upward direction in its upper part, it has in this frustoconically shaped portion an overhanging wall 3. In order to prevent the falling out of parts from the overhanging wall 3, a conical, ring-shaped body 4, which lends itself to be blown up, is mounted in the vessel, which hollow body 4 is adapted as to shape to the conical upper portion of the converter vessel and is there blown up. During the blowing up of the conical ring, the latter engages tightly the overhanging wall 3 and prevents the falling down of parts of the refractory lining. The blowing up takes place by means of a hose 5, in which a pressure controlling valve 6 is disposed. The hollow body 4 is suspended from a rigid ring 7, which in turn is supported by a cable 8, and the latter is adapted to lift and lower, respectively, the hollow body 4 into and out of the converter vessel. Upon releasing the air through the hose 5, the hollow body 4 collapses. This result is enhanced by 3,230,685 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 "ice chains 9 which are secured to the lower end of the hollow body 4. Upon releasing the air from the hollow body 4, the latter assumes the approximate configuration shown in point-dotted lines, the collapsed body being indicated as a member 4 and the chain 9 assumes then the position as shown as 9. The hollow body 4 can then be lifted through the throat 10 of the converter 1. The hollow body 4, which lends itself to be blown up, can be made of a double-walled textile material, however, also of artificial material or any other suitable material.

Instead of providing the chains 9, other suitable means can also be arranged for weighting the lower portion of the hollow body 4.

The apparatus, designed in accordance with the present invention, is not only suitable for converters, rather it can be used always in such situations, where work is performed in a lined vessel and the danger exists that parts of the lining get loose and the workers are endangered.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for preventing accidents during the performance of work in a vessel having an inner, overhanging, substantially frusto-conical upper wall, equipped with a lining, comprising a flexible, hollow, annular body of substantially frustoconical outer shape in its operative position,

said flexible, hollow body including means permitting said body to be blown up and to collapse, respectively, and,

said flexible, hollow body being adapted to removably engage the lining of the upper Wall of said vessel in its operative position, so as to prevent loosened portions of the lining from falling down, and to be collapsed in its inoperative position, whereby said body is withdrawn upon completion of the work.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes means for weighting said flexible body at its lower end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,949,658 8/1960 Conn 25l28 2,985,419 5/1961 Duncan 254-93 2,990,166 6/1961 Walsh 25493 3,086,753 4/1963 Cushman 52126 X FOREIGN PATENTS 130,629 12/ 1948 Australia. 558,910 7/ 1957 Belgium.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application No. W 11,974, December 1956.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, CHARLES E.

OCONNELL, Examiners.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF WORK IN A VESSEL HAVING AN INNER, OVERHANGING, SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL UPPER WALL, EQUIPPED WITH A LINING, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE, HOLLOW, ANNULAR BODY OF SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTOCONICAL OUTER SHAPE IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID FLEXIBLE, HOLLOW BODY INCLUDING MEANS PERMITTING SAID BODY TO BE BLOWN UP AND TO COLLAPSE RESPECTIVELY, AND, SAID FLEXIBLE, HOLLOW BODY BEING ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY ENGAGE THE LINING OF THE UPPER WALL OF SAID VESSEL IN ITS OPERATIVE POSITION, SO AS TO PREVENT LOOSENED PORTIONS OF THE LINING FROM FALLING DOWN, AND TO BE COLLAPSED IN ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION, WHEREBY SAID BODY IS WITHDRAWN UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORK. 